Like Clockwork
by Ceasefire
Summary: -MiyagiShinobu, spoilers for volume 7- Miyagi wonders why he doesn't feel more guilty about his relationship with Shinobu, and Shinobu deals with his own insecurities.


Junjou Romantica is the rightful property of Nakamura Shungiku. This is a fanwork written purely for both your entertainment and mine. Warning for Volume 7 spoilers.

This story has been heavily edited to comply with the content guidelines of this site. As in, more than 1500 words of sexual content cut out. The original can be found on my writing journal on Livejournal, for those of you who are of the legal age to view adult content.

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**Like Clockwork**

"Smoking isn't good for you, you know."

Miyagi jumped a little and looked over to his right to where Shinobu was lying beside him, curled around the cheap hotel room pillow, sheets pulled lazily up to his thighs. He had thought the younger man was asleep, and he did have that distinct, half-lidded look on his face, but his eyes were strangely dark and focused, and it made Miyagi's stomach curl reflexively.

"I know that."

"As long as you do," Shinobu replied, rolling over to lie on his stomach and reaching to pull the sheets up to his waist all in one motion. Miyagi shivered a little as the cotton moved against his legs.

"I've been meaning to cut down, actually."

"Only if you want to."

"You were the one who was just telling me it wasn't good for me," Miyagi chuckled.

"I realised I sounded kind of pushy."

"You, pushy? Never," Miyagi chuckled, and Shinobu scowled a little.

It had been barely more than three hours since they had returned from Sensei's grave, and in that space of time their relationship had progressed to being that of _lovers_ rather than... whatever the heck had been between them before, and Miyagi felt nervous about the fact that he wasn't Imore/I nervous about this development. He'd just declared his love for and taken the virginity of his boss's eighteen-year-old son and he didn't feel as guilt-ridden as he should, really. Every thought in his mind was moving like clockwork.

Clearly, something was wrong with him.

He took another drag on the cigarette between his lips.

"What are you thinking about?"

"Doesn't matter."

"I want to know, Miyagi," Shinobu stated, a little of his usual pointed stubbornness flaring up in his words.

"How could you even tell I was thinking about anything at all?"

"You have wrinkles on the sides of your eyes from staring into the distance," Shinobu replied, sounding just smug enough to make Miyagi frown. God help him if Shinobu ever got friendly enough with Kamijo to tell him that.

"It's nothing important."

Miyagi expected another demand from Shinobu, but the boy had fallen silent. He looked over and was surprised to see Shinobu looking close to tears.

"What..."

"Do you regret it?"

"What?!"

"Do you regret having sex with me? If you do, you should just say so!" Shinobu snapped, rolling over to face the wall.

Miyagi sighed, stubbed his smoke out and lay down, pulling Shinobu towards him and tucking the boy's head underneath his chin.

"I do not regret it. Quite the contrary, strangely enough."

Shinobu sniffed a bit, and Miyagi held him closer.

"Shinobu, this relationship isn't going to be easy," Miyagi started, holding up his hand when Shinobu looked over his shoulder to protest.

"Let me finish. Like I said, it won't be easy. You're seventeen years younger than me; you're my ex-wife's brother and my boss's son. But despite all that, I chased you to the airport to stop you from getting on a plane just to tell you that I wanted to give this relationship my best effort. And that hasn't changed," Miyagi murmured, pressing a kiss to the nape of Shinobu's neck. The boy shivered, but said nothing.

"I really want to make this thing between us work. If I didn't have that intention, I wouldn't have dragged you all the way out here to tell you I love you. I would probably be sitting at home by myself, mulling over what was and what could have been, and you'd be in Australia doing the same thing. The point is, I made the effort to be with you myself, and I didn't make that decision lightly, and I don't plan on taking this relationship lightly, either."

Shinobu didn't reply, and didn't roll over to face Miyagi.

"Aah, that is, if you still feel that way," Miyagi stuttered, feeling incredibly awkward, "Sorry if I said anything to upset you."

The older man reached over to grab his smokes, feeling as if he'd _never_ be able to cut down, but stopped when he felt Shinobu's cheek come to rest on his shoulder. Miyagi paused and looked down at the boy; his head was bowed, his cheeks flushed, and his eyes were fixed on the sheets as he picked at a loose thread with his fingers.

"Miyagi..." Shinobu started, but his lover's lips on his own interrupted him before he could even start. The younger man gasped into the kiss, muscles reflexively tensing at the suddenness of the action and slowly releasing as Miyagi's hands roamed up and down his back, calming his nerves.

And perhaps it wasn't unreasonable to hope that this lasted forever.


End file.
